Method, apparatus, and program for certifying a voice profile when transmitting text messages for synthesized speech

1. Technical Field

The present invention relates to speech synthesis and, in particular, to using prosodic information for speech synthesis. Still more particularly, the present invention provides a method, apparatus, and program for transmitting text messages for synthesized speech.

2. Description of Related Art

Speech synthesis systems convert text to speech for audible output. Speech synthesizers may use a plurality of stored speech segments and their associated representation (i.e., vocabulary) to generate speech by concatenating the stored speech segments. However, because no information is provided with the text as to how the speech should be generated, the result is typically an unnatural or robot sounding speech.

Some speech synthesis systems use prosodic information, such as pitch, duration, rhythm, intonation, stress, etc., to modify or shape the generated speech to sound more natural. In fact, voice characteristic information, such as the above prosodic information, may be used to synthesize the voice of a specific person. Thus, a person\'s voice may be recreated to “read” a text that the person did not actually read.

However, recreating a person\'s voice using voice characteristic information introduces a number of ethical issues. Once an individual\'s voice characteristics are extracted and stored, they may be used to speak a text the content of which the individual finds objectionable or embarrassing. When voice characteristics are transmitted for remote synthesis of speech, the person receiving the voice characteristics may not even know if the characteristics did indeed come from the appropriate individual.

Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide an improved speech synthesis system transmitting text messages and certifying voice characteristics profiles for synthesized speech.

The present invention provides a personal voice profile that includes voice characteristic information and information for certifying the profile. The voice profile may include, for example, an algorithm used for signing messages, an expiration, and a public key from a public key/private key pair. Furthermore, the personal voice profile may also include a digital signature from a trusted third party, such as a certification authority. The personal voice profile may be authenticated by verifying the digital certificate.

When the personal voice profile is transmitted, the profile may be encrypted using a secret key, such as the sender\'s private key, a private key from a separate public key/private key pair, the public key corresponding to the recipient\'s private key, or a single key that both the sending party and the receiving party know. When the owner of the personal voice profile sends a text message, the owner may generate a message digest using the algorithm identified in the personal voice profile. The message digest may then be encrypted using the private key corresponding to the public key in the personal voice profile. The digest may then be used to sign the text message.

When the message is received, the recipient may certify the message by decrypting the encrypted message digest using the public key in the personal voice profile and verifying the digest using the algorithm identified in the personal voice profile. The speech synthesis system verifies the message by generating a message digest from the text message and comparing the received message digest with the generated message digest. The speech synthesis system may reject the message if the digests do not match and synthesize the speech using the voice characteristics from the voice profile only if the message digest is authentic.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The novel features believed characteristic of the invention are set forth in the appended claims. The invention itself, however, as well as a preferred mode of use, further objectives and advantages thereof, will best be understood by reference to the following detailed description of an illustrative embodiment when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 depicts a pictorial representation of a network of data processing systems in which the present invention may be implemented;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of a data processing system that may be implemented as a server in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram illustrating a data processing system in which the present invention may be implemented;

FIG. 4A is block diagrams depicting a personal voice profile in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIGS. 4B and 4C are block diagrams depicting the generation and authentication of a personal voice profile issued by a trusted third party in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 5A is a block diagram of a message transmission system in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention;

Continue reading about Method, apparatus, and program for certifying a voice profile when transmitting text messages for synthesized speech...
Full patent description for Method, apparatus, and program for certifying a voice profile when transmitting text messages for synthesized speech

Brief Patent Description - Full Patent Description - Patent Application Claims

Click on the above for other options relating to this Method, apparatus, and program for certifying a voice profile when transmitting text messages for synthesized speech patent application.

Patent Applications in related categories:

20090299743 - Method and system for transcribing telephone conversation to text - Methods and systems for transcribing portions of a telephone conversation to text enables users to request transcription such as by pressing a button on a mobile device, with the request transmitted to a server including transcription software. The server transcribes some or all of the telephone conversation to text, and ...


###


How KEYWORD MONITOR works... a FREE service from FreshPatents
1. Sign up (takes 30 seconds). 2. Fill in the keywords to be monitored.
3. Each week you receive an email with patent applications related to your keywords.  
Start now! - Receive info on patent apps like Method, apparatus, and program for certifying a voice profile when transmitting text messages for synthesized speech or other areas of interest.
###


Previous Patent Application:
Method and computer program product for generating recognition error correction information
Next Patent Application:
Restoration of high-order mel frequency cepstral coefficients
Industry Class:
Data processing: speech signal processing, linguistics, language translation, and audio compression/decompression

###

Design/code © 2009 FreshContext LLC/Freshpatents.com. Website Terms and Conditions - Also read: About this Page
Patent data source: patents published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO)
Information published here is for research/educational purposes only (and in conjunction with our Keyword Monitor) and is not meant to be used in place of the full USPTO patent document/images or a comprehensive patent archive search. Complete official applications are on file at the USPTO and often contain additional data/images (Freshpatents is currently text-only). FreshPatents.com is not affiliated with or endorsed by the USPTO or firms/individuals or products/designs/ideas related to listed patents.

FreshPatents.com Support
Thank you for viewing the Method, apparatus, and program for certifying a voice profile when transmitting text messages for synthesized speech patent info.
IP-related news and info


Results in 2.58636 seconds


Other interesting Feshpatents.com categories:
Qualcomm , Schering-Plough , Schlumberger , Seagate , Siemens , Texas Instruments , paws